2002: Panthers Beat Ravens to End 15-Game Losing Streak

The Carolina Panthers won their first game of the 2001 NFL season – and proceeded to lose the remaining 15 straight contests, something no club in league history had done before. On September 8, 2002 they hosted the Baltimore Ravens, nearly a year to the day since their last win, with hopes of ending the skid as part of a new beginning for the franchise.

George Seifert had been replaced as head coach by John Fox, formerly defensive coordinator of the Giants. The team also added DE Julius Peppers, the second overall pick in the ’02 draft out of North Carolina (the expansion Houston Texans had the first choice), and rookie RB DeShaun Foster from UCLA. RB Lamar Smith, a free agent signed away from Miami, was brought in to bolster the running game. And Coach Fox decided to bench QB Chris Weinke, who had suffered through a difficult first season starting for the 1-15 team, in favor of 36-year-old journeyman Rodney Peete (pictured above), who had been sitting on Oakland’s bench for two years and had not thrown a pass in a regular season game since he was with the Redskins in 1999.

As for the visiting Ravens, coached by Brian Billick, they were two years removed from being a Super Bowl champion and had gone 10-6 in 2001. Defense had carried them to a title, but while they still had a strong nucleus of talent, salary cap problems had forced them to jettison several players. The offense would have a new starting quarterback as well in Chris Redman, a third-year player. RB Jamal Lewis, who was outstanding as a rookie for the 2000 Championship team, was back after missing all of ’01 due to a knee injury.

Most of the scoring came in the first quarter. On their second possession of the game, the Ravens went 80 yards in 9 plays that featured a 22-yard pass completion from Redman to WR Brandon Stokley in a third-and-eight situation and a 36-yard pass play to WR Travis Taylor that got the ball to the Carolina 11 yard line. Redmon threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to WR Ron Johnson and, with Matt Stover’s successful extra point, Baltimore was ahead by 7-0.

The Panthers, however, came right back with a scoring drive of their own that also covered 80 yards. Rodney Peete completed three passes, the second to WR Muhsin Muhammad for 33 yards and the third to TE Wesley Walls for a 20-yard TD. John Kasay, the last remaining original member of the Panthers, added the extra point to tie the contest.

In the second quarter, and following a punt by the Ravens, Carolina went 40 yards in 10 plays to score again. Peete threw to Walls for 18 yards on a third-and-13 play and RB Nick Goings converted another third down with a 20-yard run to the Baltimore 12. John Kasay kicked a 27-yard field goal and the Panthers were up by three points.

That was it for the scoring. Twice the Ravens moved into Carolina territory but were forced to punt, and the Panthers were consistently kept on their end of the field. A 47-yard field goal attempt by Stover late in the third quarter was unsuccessful. Midway through the final period, the Panthers put together a promising drive that reached the Baltimore 33 in ten plays, but Kasay’s 50-yard field goal attempt failed.

With under two minutes remaining and the ball approaching midfield, Redman threw a pass that was deflected by Julius Peppers and intercepted by LB Dan Morgan, who returned it 22 yards, and that was it. Amid great celebration worthy of a postseason victory, Carolina came away a winner by the score of 10-7.

“It just feels so incredible to finally win again and to finish a game and just put an end to all this misery,” said the 13-year veteran Wesley Walls, who had scored Carolina’s lone touchdown.

The statistics reflected the low point total. The Ravens had the most total yards (289 to 265) while both teams had 15 first downs apiece. There was only one turnover – the game-clinching interception at the end – and the clubs combined for 13 punts.

In a workmanlike performance, Rodney Peete completed 12 of 19 passes for 136 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. Lamar Smith ran the ball 24 times for 84 yards. WR Steve Smith caught 4 passes for 38 yards and Wesley Walls also gained 38 yards on his two receptions that included a TD.

For the Ravens, Chris Redman was successful on 20 of 34 throws for 218 yards with a TD and one picked off. Jamal Lewis gained 64 yards on 17 rushing attempts and gained 33 more on 4 catches. Brandon Stokley was the top receiver with 6 receptions for 83 yards.

The Panthers doubled their win total of the previous year the next week against the Lions and reached 3-0 before dropping eight straight games. Still, they ended up with a much-improved 7-9 record that put them fourth in the NFC South. A year later they were NFC Champions – a remarkable two-year turnaround from 1-15 in 2001. Baltimore was also 7-9 to finish third in the AFC North.

Rodney Peete enjoyed something of a resurgence in his last year as a starting quarterback (he lasted two more seasons as a backup). He completed 58.5 percent of his passes for a career-high 2630 yards and 15 touchdowns along with 14 interceptions. While his physical skills had declined, he provided solid leadership to the rebuilding club.

MVP Profile: Jim Brown, 1958

Fullback, Cleveland Browns

Age: 22

2^nd season in pro football & with Browns

College: Syracuse

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 228

Prelude:

Following an outstanding career at Syracuse, in which he distinguished himself as an all-around athlete (lacrosse, basketball, track & field) as well as in football, Brown was chosen in the first round of the 1957 NFL draft by the Browns. With his blend of speed, power, and agility, he moved quickly into the starting lineup as a rookie, leading the league in rushing with 942 yards that included a single-game record at the time of 237. He received MVP as well as Rookie of the Year honors, was a consensus first-team All-Pro and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

1958 Season Summary

Appeared in all 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 257 [1]

Most attempts, game - 34 (for 182 yds.) vs. Chi. Cards 10/12

Yards – 1527 [1]

Most yards, game – 182 yards (on 34 carries) vs. Chi. Cards 10/12

Average gain – 5.9 [5]

TDs – 17 [1]

100-yard rushing games – 9

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 16       

Yards – 138

Average gain – 8.6

TDs – 1

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 3

Yards – 74

Average per return – 24.7

TDs – 0

Longest return – 35 yards

All-purpose yards – 1739 [1]

Scoring

TDs – 18 [1]

Points – 108 [1]

Postseason: 1 G (NFL Eastern Conf. playoff at NY Giants)

Rushing attempts – 7

Rushing yards – 8

Average gain rushing – 1.1

Rushing TDs – 0

Pass receptions – 2

Yards – 18

Average gain – 9.0

TDs – 0

Kickoff Returns – 2

Yards – 61

Average per return – 30.5

TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL MVP: AP, UPI, NEA, Sporting News

1^st team All-NFL: AP, NEA, UPI, NY Daily News, Sporting News

Pro Bowl

Browns went 9-3 to finish in a tie for first in the Eastern Conference while leading the NFL in rushing (2526 yards, 5.3 avg. gain). Lost Eastern Conference playoff to New York Giants (10-0).

Aftermath:

Brown’s record-setting rushing title in 1958 was the second of eight in nine seasons. Along the way he set numerous records as well as a new standard for running backs to be measured against. He broke his own single-season rushing record in 1963 and retired as the all-time leader in rushing (12,312 yards) and touchdowns (126). Brown averaged 5.2 yards per carry and 104.3 yards per game over the course of his career. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in all nine seasons, was a first-team All-Pro eight times, and received MVP recognition on two more occasions. Brown’s #32 was retired by the Browns and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1971.

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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself). 

[Updated 2/6/14]

1981: Chiefs Upset Mistake-Prone Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers had missed the postseason in 1980 after eight straight appearances that included four Super Bowl championships and were looking to rebound as they opened the 1981 season on September 6 at home against the Kansas City Chiefs.

For Head Coach Chuck Noll’s team, the roster might have been aging, but the nucleus was still strong and included such mainstays as QB Terry Bradshaw, RB Franco Harris, wide receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, DT “Mean Joe” Greene, linebackers Jack Lambert and Jack Ham, CB Mel Blount, and SS Donnie Shell. There were also promising younger players in RB Greg Hawthorne, WR Jim Smith, and CB Dwayne Woodruff.

The Chiefs, under Head Coach Marv Levy, were coming off an 8-8 record in ’80, the club’s best since 1973. The offense tended to be dull and highly conservative, while the defense featured All-Pro NT Art Still, LB Gary Spani, and Pro Bowl FS Gary Barbaro. It was not a promising situation starting off the new season in Pittsburgh, however, for there was a lot of inexperience on defense and the offense was without starting QB Steve Fuller, who had suffered a knee injury, putting backup Bill Kenney (pictured above) behind center.

With 53,305 fans in attendance at Three Rivers Stadium, the Steelers scored first when Bradshaw connected with Swann for an 18-yard touchdown, but rookie PK David Trout missed the extra point attempt. Kansas City came back with a 48-yard pass play from Kenney to WR Henry Marshall, and Nick Lowery’s PAT was successful to put the visitors ahead by 7-6. Lowery extended the lead with a 35-yard field goal later in the opening period.

In the second quarter, Pittsburgh moved back in front thanks to a seven-yard touchdown run by Franco Harris, but once again Trout failed to add the extra point. Harris added another TD from a yard out and this time the PAT was added. Lowery kicked a 40-yard field goal and the teams went into halftime with the Steelers leading by 19-13.

Kansas City retook the lead in the third quarter on another long pass play, this time with Kenney throwing to WR Carlos Carson for 53 yards. Lowery’s extra point made the score 20-19. The Steelers again came back as Greg Hawthorne scored from a yard out and Trout successfully converted the PAT. But sloppy play was catching up to the Steelers, and a Bradshaw fumble led to more points for Kansas City, this time a 42-yard field goal by Lowery that cut the home team’s margin to 26-23.

In the fourth quarter, a fumble by Harris again helped the visitors as the Chiefs drove 38 yards and RB Ted McKnight ran for a three-yard touchdown that put KC ahead by 30-26. But once again Pittsburgh came back when Bradshaw passed to Jim Smith for a 41-yard touchdown to put the Steelers in front at 33-30 with 7:12 to go.

The Chiefs were forced to punt following their next possession and it looked bad for the visitors when the Steelers advanced to the KC 28. Kansas City was out of timeouts and Pittsburgh had a first down heading toward the two-minute warning. But as Bradshaw took the snap and was preparing to hand off, he was hit hard by blitzing LB Frank Manumaleuga and lost the ball. LB Thomas Howard picked up Bradshaw’s fumble on the run and charged 65 yards for a touchdown to put the Chiefs in the lead with 1:59 remaining to play, utterly silencing a crowd that had been thrilled by the go-ahead scoring pass a few minutes before and was sensing victory.

Pittsburgh still had a chance, but Gary Barbaro (pictured at left) intercepted a Bradshaw pass to end the threat. Kansas City came away with a 37-33 upset win.

The big story was the seven turnovers by the Steelers, who fumbled eight times, losing five of them (including the game-decider), and gave up two interceptions. Together with the two missed extra points, it was an uncharacteristically mistake-filled performance. Pittsburgh outgained the Chiefs (408 yards to 353) and had more first downs (29 to 17). But Kansas City turned the ball over just twice, and the defense did well in holding the vaunted Pittsburgh running attack to just 89 yards on 34 carries.

Bill Kenney, in his fourth career start, completed 14 of 26 passes for 242 yards with two touchdowns while tossing one interception. Henry Marshall caught 4 passes for 89 yards and a TD. Ted McKnight led the rushers with 59 yards on 17 carries that included a score, and promising rookie RB Joe Delaney gained 43 yards on 9 attempts while FB James Hadnot contributed 8 runs for 42 yards.

For the Steelers, Terry Bradshaw was successful on 21 of 36 throws for 319 yards with two TDs but also two interceptions. John Stallworth caught 6 passes for 107 yards and Jim Smith gained 84 yards and scored a touchdown on his 4 receptions. Franco Harris ran for 70 yards and two TDs on 19 carries.

“What could have been a great win, even with all the mistakes, ended up being a lousy loss with a lot of mistakes,” said a disappointed Terry Bradshaw.

It was a sign of better things to come for the Chiefs, who won eight of their first 12 games before sustaining three losses in the last four to end up at 9-7 and third in the AFC West. Pittsburgh continued to struggle, going 8-8 to place second in the AFC Central and out of the playoffs for a second year.

Bill Kenney saw most of the action at quarterback for Kansas City (although Steve Fuller regained the job late in the season) and had a fair year, throwing for 1983 yards with 9 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Joe Delaney broke out as a Pro Bowl player, running for 1121 yards while averaging 4.8 yards per carry. It was still defense carrying the club as Art Still, Gary Barbaro, and CB Gary Green also were selected to the Pro Bowl, along with Nick Lowery, whose three field goals against the Steelers were the first of an eventual 26 out of 36 attempts.

David Trout, who missed his first two extra point attempts, ended up missing a total of eight of his 46 tries during the season. He was 12 for 17 on field goal attempts and lasted the year, but was not back in ’82. He would resurface in the USFL with better results.

1983: Cowboys Overcome 20-Point Deficit, Beat Redskins in Opener

The Washington Redskins, champions of the NFL in 1982, began their title defense with a Monday night game on September 5, 1983 against their arch-rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. It was a humid 87 degree night in Washington, but it did not dampen the enthusiasm of the sellout crowd of 55,045 at RFK Stadium.

Washington, coached by Joe Gibbs, featured the passing of QB Joe Theismann and the ground-gaining of rugged RB John Riggins on offense, along with an outstanding line known as “The Hogs” and a capable group of receivers led by WR Art Monk. The defense lacked big names but played well as a unit.

As for Head Coach Tom Landry’s Cowboys, they had most recently lost to the Redskins in the NFC Championship game – their third straight trip to the conference title contest that ended in defeat. QB Danny White was capable but also living in the shadow of his illustrious predecessor, Roger Staubach, and RB Tony Dorsett, TE Doug Cosbie, and wide receivers Tony Hill (pictured above) and Drew Pearson were all solid offensive performers. The defense had slipped in ’82, however, showing signs of age.

The Redskins were emotionally high coming into the opening game and did well at exploiting weaknesses in the Dallas defense during the first half. The Cowboys started their first drive from their own 16 yard line and that was typical during the first two quarters of play as they were consistently kept on their own half of the field.

In the first quarter, Mark Moseley started the scoring off with a 23-yard field goal and Riggins scored a touchdown on a one-yard carry. The biggest first half highlight for Dallas came in the second quarter on a 77-yard run by Tony Dorsett, who was caught from behind by fleet CB Darrell Green. Stifled again by Washington’s defense, the Cowboys had to settle for a 26-yard Rafael Septien field goal.

Moseley followed up with field goals of 30 and 39 yards and, with 40 seconds left in the first half, WR Charlie Brown made an outstanding catch of a Theismann pass for a 41-yard touchdown that seemingly put the Redskins in command at 23-3.

Theismann amassed 181 passing yards in the first half, making good use of short sideline passes to his wide receivers. Meanwhile, Danny White was a miserable one-for-nine. Dallas managed just three first downs, one of them on a penalty. However, for all the dominance Washington had scored just two touchdowns, along with three field goals.

The Cowboys made adjustments to the defense at halftime that successfully countered Washington’s attack during the second half. Things began to turn around early in the third quarter when White completed a pass to Tony Hill, who raced past CB Vernon Dean for a 75-yard touchdown.

Shortly thereafter, White hit Hill again for another long scoring play, this time victimizing the inexperienced CB Anthony Washington in the secondary. Suddenly, the Washington lead was down to 23-17.

Still ahead by six points, the Redskins drove to the Dallas 14 yard line but were moved back by a holding penalty and then Moseley had a critical missed field goal attempt from 31 yards. Dallas responded by driving 80 yards – 27 coming on runs by Dorsett and aided by a late hit of White called on LB Mel Kaufman - and taking the lead with White running around end for a short TD, followed by Septien’s extra point.

With just over two minutes to play, the game-clinching points were set up thanks to reserve CB Ron Fellows intercepting a Theismann pass at the Washington 40 and returning it to the four yard line. TE Doug Cosbie caught a touchdown throw by White from a yard out with less than two minutes to play.

The Redskins finally scored again in the waning seconds to close to one point, but it was inconsequential to the outcome once a desperation onsides kick was recovered by the Cowboys. Dallas came away with a 31-30 win.

Washington outgained the Cowboys (447 yards to 356) and had more first downs (26 to 16), but was also penalized seven times, to just two flags thrown on Dallas. Moreover, the inability to put more points on the board in the second half until it was too late, combined with the big plays by the Cowboys that exploited weaknesses in Washington’s defense, made the difference.

Danny White, recovering from the horrible first half showing, ended up completing 9 of 20 passes for 193 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Tony Dorsett (pictured below) rushed for 151 yards on 14 carries. With the two long scoring plays, Tony Hill gained 133 yards on 3 receptions while Doug Cosbie also caught 3 passes, for 36 yards and the clinching TD.

For the Redskins, Joe Theismann was successful on 28 of 38 throws for 325 yards with two TDs and the one late interception. Alvin Garrett caught 10 of those passes for 101 yards and Charlie Brown added 6 for 97 yards. John Riggins ran the ball 27 times for 89 yards and a touchdown.

“That pass to Hill was the play that turned the game around,” said Joe Theismann. “It didn’t kill us, but it woke up the Cowboys.”

“Anytime I can look up here and see the stands half-empty and the fans grumbling on their way out, it’s the most gratifying experience in football,” said Dennis Thurman, who recovered the climactic onsides kick for the Cowboys that effectively ended the game. “Those fans were screaming ‘we want Dallas’. I’m not too sure they want us now.”

The opening defeat was easily overcome by the Redskins, who won the rematch in Dallas later in the season and lost only one other game in compiling a 14-2 record. Featuring their high-scoring offense, they again advanced to the Super Bowl, only to be upset by the Los Angeles Raiders. The Cowboys finished second in the NFC East but qualified for the playoffs as a Wild Card with a 12-4 tally. They didn’t make it to the NFC Championship game this time, falling to the Rams in the first round.

Danny White (pictured at right) placed third in the league with 3980 passing yards and tied with Joe Theismann for second with 29 TD passes. Tony Hill caught 49 passes for a team-leading 801 yards (16.3 avg.) and 7 touchdowns. Doug Cosbie was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first of three straight yeas as he pulled in 46 receptions for 588 yards and 6 TDs. Also chosen for the Pro Bowl was Tony Dorsett, for the fourth time, who rushed for 1321 yards on 289 yards (4.6 avg.) and caught 40 passes for 287 more yards and a total of 9 touchdowns. 

2000: Warner Passes for 441 Yards as Rams Overcome Broncos

The St. Louis Rams began the defense of their surprising 1999 NFL title in a Monday night game on September 4, 2000 at home against the Denver Broncos. QB Kurt Warner (pictured at right), who had gone from unknown backup to league MVP in ’99, was back and had an outstanding stable of receivers that featured savvy veteran WR Isaac Bruce as well as second-year players Torry Holt and Az-Zahir Hakim. The Rams also had the highly productive Marshall Faulk at running back, who became just the second NFL player to reach over a thousand yards each in rushing and pass receiving in 1999. St. Louis did have a new head coach in Mike Martz, elevated from offensive coordinator to replace the retired Dick Vermeil, as well as new uniforms of navy blue and old gold.

The visiting Broncos, coached by Mike Shanahan, had been the NFL Champions in 1997 and ’98. However, they dropped precipitously to 6-10 in 1999, having lost star QB John Elway to retirement and 2000-yard RB Terrell Davis for most of the year due to injury. QB Brian Griese, son of Miami’s former Hall of Famer Bob Griese, had suffered through a difficult year in place of Elway and the defense was in a state of flux.

There were 65,596 in attendance at the Trans World Dome. The Rams started quietly, going three-and-out in their first possession - although they would not punt again for the remainder of the contest. Denver put together a 59-yard drive in six plays, the last of which was an eight-yard bootleg by Griese for a touchdown.

St. Louis came back to advance into Denver territory, but LB Al Wilson intercepted a Warner pass at his own seven to end the threat. However, late in the first quarter Az-Zahir Hakim returned a punt 86 yards for a touchdown, which (with the successful extra point) tied the score and seemed to bring the Rams alive.

The Broncos moved back in front by 10-7 following a 32-yard field goal by Jason Elam. St. Louis responded with a five-yard touchdown run by Faulk with just under nine minutes remaining in the half. The teams traded touchdowns during the remainder of the second quarter, with Griese throwing to WR Rod Smith for a 25-yard TD and Warner connecting with WR Ricky Proehl from seven yards out in the final minute before halftime. The Rams led by 21-17 at the intermission.

Denver started off the third quarter with a nine-play, 63-yard drive that concluded with a 38-yard field goal by Elam to make it a one-point game. But the Rams struck quickly when a short pass from Warner to Faulk turned into a 72-yard touchdown.

The next time St. Louis got the ball, it was another quick score on a short throw by Warner that Hakim, breaking a tackle by former Rams safety Billy Jenkins at the line of scrimmage, went 80 yards with for a TD. Just two short tosses had gained a total of 152 yards and two touchdowns, put the home crowd in a frenzy, and given the Rams a 35-20 lead. But the Broncos were far from done.

For the second time, Al Wilson intercepted a Warner pass and the Broncos took advantage as Griese completed a seven-yard TD pass to TE Desmond Clark to close the margin to 35-27. Heading into the fourth quarter, an Elam field goal from 36 yards made it a five-point game.

St. Louis fell behind after a Warner pass intended for Torry Holt was picked off by CB Terrell Buckley, who returned it for a 32-yard touchdown and, although an attempt to add a two-point conversion failed, Denver had a 36-35 lead with 6:35 remaining on the clock.

The Rams rallied, however, putting together a 75-yard drive that featured Faulk running for a 30-yard gain to the Denver one. RB Robert Holcombe gained the last yard with just under three minutes to play, although the try for two points was unsuccessful. Still, the defending champs were back in front by five points.

Denver had a chance in the last two minutes, but the Rams defense, which had seemed so vulnerable throughout the contest, came alive and managed to sack Griese twice. Finally, on a fourth-and-33 play, Griese was hit by DE Grant Wistrom and he tossed an errant throw that fell incomplete to clinch the 41-36 win for St. Louis.

With several big plays, the Rams outgained Denver by 433 yards to 274, but the Broncos led in first downs by 25 to 23. St. Louis was nearly done in by three turnovers, as opposed to none surrendered by Denver.

Kurt Warner, who spread the ball around to seven different receivers, completed 25 of 35 passes for 441 yards and three touchdowns, although he also gave up the three interceptions. Marshall Faulk rushed for 78 yards and a TD in 14 carries and added 100 yards and another score on four pass receptions. Indeed, the Rams had three hundred-yard receivers in the same game for the first time since 1951 as Az-Zahir Hakim gained 116 yards on his 5 catches and Torry Holt pulled in 6 passes for 103 yards. It was a highly productive game for the often-overlooked Hakim, who, with the long punt return for a TD, accumulated 202 total yards.

For the Broncos, Brian Griese (pictured below) had great success picking apart the St. Louis defense, going to the air 29 times and completing 19 for 307 yards and two TDs with no interceptions. WR Ed McCaffrey led the receivers with 7 catches for 115 yards and Rod Smith gained 88 yards on his three receptions that included a touchdown. RB Olandis Gary paced the club with 80 yards on 13 attempts. Terrell Davis gained 34 yards on 9 carries before leaving the contest with a twisted ankle suffered in the first quarter.

“That’s the name of our game,” said Kurt Warner afterward. “That’s what we do around here, we spread it around and get it to everybody and take advantage of what defenses are doing to us.”

“This was a game that if you like offense, it was fun to watch,” said Mike Shanahan. “If you like defense, you picked the wrong one to go to.”

The exciting win over Denver set the stage for the Rams to get off to a 6-0 start, but they faltered during the second half of the season to finish at 10-6 and, due to tiebreakers, second in the NFC West. While they still made the playoffs as a Wild Card team, the Rams fell to New Orleans in the first round. Still an extremely potent offensive team, as the contest against the Broncos showed, St. Louis was leaky on defense. Denver bounced back to return to the postseason, also as a Wild Card with an 11-5 record. The Broncos lost in the first round as well, to the eventual-champion Baltimore Ravens.

Kurt Warner missed five games due to injury, but still passed for 3429 yards (averaging 311.7 per game) and 21 touchdowns, and was again selected to the Pro Bowl. Marshall Faulk, while out for two contests, was again prolific as he ran for 1359 yards and 18 TDs and caught 81 passes for another 830 yards and eight scores, giving him 2189 yards from scrimmage and a then-record 26 touchdowns scored.

Az-Zahir Hakim remained productive as the number three wide receiver and primary punt returner, although nagging injuries wore him down as well. He had 53 catches for 734 yards (13.8 avg.) and four touchdowns and averaged 15.3 yards on his 32 punt returns.

Brian Griese, who received much praise for his improved performance against the Rams, had a Pro Bowl year, completing 64.3 percent of his passes for 2688 yards and 19 TDs against just four interceptions. 

Rookie of the Year: Simeon Rice, 1996

Defensive End, Arizona Cardinals

Age:  22

College: Illinois

Height: 6’5”    Weight: 265

Prelude:

Rice recorded 45 sacks in four collegiate seasons and, considered the best pass rusher available in the draft, he was taken with the third overall pick in the first round by the Cardinals and their defense-minded new head coach, Vince Tobin. While he held out into training camp, Rice still moved into the starting lineup.

1996 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – 12.5 [10, tied with Roy Barker]

Most sacks, game – 2 vs. St. Louis 9/29, vs. NY Giants 11/17, vs. Washington 12/15

Multi-sack games – 3

Interceptions – 0

Fumble recoveries – 1

Forced fumble – 1

Tackles – 42

Assists – 10

Awards & Honors:

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA

NFC Rookie of the Year: UPI

2^nd team All-NFC: UPI

Cardinals went 7-9 to finish fourth in the NFC East.

Aftermath:

Having tied the NFL record for sacks by a rookie, Rice had a lesser performance in 1997 with five sacks, but bounced back in ’98 as the Cardinals made it to the postseason and in 1999 he was selected to the Pro Bowl after accumulating a career-high 16.5 sacks. Unhappy with his contract, he left Arizona following the 2000 season and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As part of a strong overall defense, Rice had his best years. Considered a one-dimensional player with the Cardinals, he improved against the run with the Bucs while reaching double digits in sacks in each of his first five years with the club. He also was a consensus first-team All-Pro in 2002 and was selected to the Pro Bowl in ’02 and ’03. A shoulder injury caused him to miss half of the 2006 season and he finished up with the Broncos and Colts in ’07. For his career, he had 122 sacks and was selected to the Pro Bowl on three occasions.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL (including NFC/AFC), AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year). 

[Updated 2/6/14]

1979: Falcons Defeat Saints in OT Thanks to Failed Punt

The September 2, 1979 season-opening game at the Louisiana Superdome featured fierce rivals who had a recent history of down-to-the-wire contests. The New Orleans Saints, coached by Dick Nolan, were coming off a 7-9 season in ’78 but seemed to be on the upswing. They had a good nucleus on offense of ninth-year veteran QB Archie Manning, RB Chuck Muncie, TE Henry Childs, and promising second-season WR Wes Chandler. In the first round of the ’79 draft, they had made the surprising decision to add Russell Erxleben from Texas, a celebrated all-purpose kicker.

The visiting Atlanta Falcons had reached the playoffs for the first time in 1978 and Head Coach Leeman Bennett’s team was looking to build upon that performance. QB Steve Bartkowski went from first-round bust to rising star in the course of the season. The scrappy defense ranked fifth in the NFL. The running game had been a cause of concern, however, and three backs were taken in the draft, including William Andrews from Auburn (pictured above), who would have an immediate effect. The Falcons defeated New Orleans in both of the previous year’s meetings, and in the final seconds in each instance.

The Saints opened the scoring in the first quarter with an 85-yard drive that culminated in Manning tossing a five-yard touchdown pass to WR Ike Harris. It was 7-0 after one period of play, but the second quarter saw both teams combine for a total of 41 points.

New Orleans extended its lead when Chuck Muncie connected with Wes Chandler on an option pass that covered 40 yards for a TD. Down 14-0, the Falcons responded with a 27-yard Tim Mazzetti field goal and then a 20-yard touchdown pass from Bartkowski to WR Alfred Jenkins. With the margin down to four points, the Saints came back with a 69-yard scoring run by Muncie. Bartkowski tossed another touchdown pass, this time covering 20 yards to WR Wallace Francis. Muncie ran for a four-yard TD and Mazzetti booted a 43-yard field goal to end the scoring barrage. New Orleans went into halftime with a 28-20 lead.

Russell Erxleben started off the second half scoring early in the third quarter with a 37-yard field goal. Again Atlanta closed to four points as Bartkowski threw to Francis for a 21-yard touchdown, and with the successful extra point the score was 31-27 going into the final period.

William Andrews put Atlanta in the lead with his first pro touchdown on a four-yard run. The Falcons then appeared set to clinch the game with less than five minutes remaining, but a promising drive ended when Bartkowski fumbled after being hit from the blind side by DE Joe Campbell, giving the Saints the ball on their own 18 yard line. New Orleans proceeded to drive 66 yards and, with 44 seconds left in regulation, Erxleben kicked a 38-yard field goal to tie the score. Atlanta still had a shot in regulation, but Mazzetti missed a field goal try from 52 yards out and the game went into overtime.

The contest went eight minutes into the extra period with neither team able to score. In the climactic play of the game, the Saints were lined up on fourth-and-six at their 32 for a punt. A bad snap by C John Watson sailed some four feet over Erxleben’s head, and the rookie kicker had to give chase. The ball rolled inside the five toward the goal line, where Erxleben grabbed it and tried to toss a two-handed pass to avoid a possible safety. Rookie RB James Mayberry, who was bearing down fast on Erxleben, pulled the throw out of the air and ran six yards untouched into the end zone for the improbable winning touchdown. Atlanta came away with yet another thrilling win over the Saints by a score of 40-34.

In a game that featured plenty of offense on both sides, the Falcons had the most total yards (552 to 512) and first downs (35 to 23). New Orleans was the more proficient through the air (324 to 295) but Atlanta generated 257 rushing yards to 188 for the Saints. Each club turned the ball over two times.

William Andrews had an impressive debut, rushing for 167 yards on 30 carries that included the one TD. Steve Bartkowski completed 22 of 38 passes for 312 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Alfred Jenkins had 7 catches for 131 yards and one of the TDs and Wallace Francis added 5 receptions for 65 yards and the other two scores.

For the Saints, Chuck Muncie (pictured at right) set a club record with 161 yards on 22 carries and scored two touchdowns while also passing for another. Also lost in the defeat was a big day for Wes Chandler, who gained 205 yards on 6 catches that included a TD. Archie Manning was successful on 14 of his 29 throws for 284 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

“I just heard the crowd and I knew something was wrong,” said James Mayberry of his special teams play that won the contest. “I saw the ball back there and I just took off after it…I just ran back there expecting to tackle him (Erxleben). He just threw the ball and I had nothing to do but score.”

The 40 points were easily the most scored in any game by the Falcons in 1979, and it ended up being a disappointing year in which they dropped to 6-10 and placed third in the NFC West. Ahead of them was New Orleans, which won the rematch between the rivals in Atlanta and, after a slow start, posted an 8-8 record – the first non-losing tally in the franchise’s history.

William Andrews continued to be a bright spot for the Falcons as he rushed for 1023 yards on 239 carries (4.3 avg.) and caught 39 passes for 309 more yards. The pass receiving tandem of Wallace Francis (74 catches, 1013 yards, 8 TDs) and Alfred Jenkins (50 catches, 858 yards, 3 TDs) remained productive. James Mayberry saw limited action as a backup running back and gained 193 yards while scoring one other TD during the season.

Chuck Muncie went on to a Pro Bowl year, gaining 1198 rushing yards while averaging five yards per carry and scoring 11 touchdowns and catching 40 passes. Wes Chandler also earned Pro Bowl recognition with his 65 pass receptions for 1069 yards (16.4 avg.) and six TDs.

It was not so good for Russell Erxleben, however. He was injured during workouts the week following the Atlanta game and did not play again in ’79 – FB Tony Galbreath handled the placekicking for one week and Chandler the punting for two before 35-year-old PK Garo Yepremian, released by the Dolphins late in the preseason, and P Rick Partridge were signed. Erxleben did return in 1980 and lasted four years with the Saints, almost exclusively as a punter (he came back to punt once for the Lions in ’87). He was never able to live up to his 11^th overall draft selection in 1979.